Unethical Animal Testing: Can Episkin Be a Viable Alternative?

This blog post examines the long-debated issues surrounding animal testing and explores whether artificial skin ‘Episkin’ can truly serve as a realistic alternative.

 

Animal testing in science has been conducted for a long time across various fields, including medicine, cosmetics, and space development. Animal testing has significantly contributed to scientific progress, and its continued use is anticipated, making an immediate, complete halt difficult. However, as humanity’s quality of life improves and living standards stabilize, people have begun to care not only about human convenience and comfort but also about animal welfare. North America and Europe, having achieved development earlier, maintain high animal welfare standards and contribute to spreading a global ethos of animal welfare.
Among the many forms of animal testing, the first area to show signs of cessation was cosmetic testing, specifically experiments related to cosmetic development. This shift occurred as the cruelty of animal testing conducted by companies for cosmetic development was exposed through media coverage, leading to heightened criticism and opposition. Through the persistent efforts of animal protection groups and individuals, the European Union (EU) legally banned all animal testing for cosmetics effective March 11, 2013. This legislation not only prohibits animal testing for cosmetic development but also bans the sale within Europe of cosmetics developed through animal testing. The key factor enabling this ban was the introduction of alternative testing methods.
Cosmetic-related experiments fall into two main categories: first, experiments conducted when developing new cosmetics; second, experiments testing the efficacy of finished cosmetics. Both types of experiments are conducted repeatedly over a period of time, meaning many animals are used even for a single cosmetic product development. Examples include skin sensitivity tests to determine if a product causes irritation like itching or inflammation, eye irritation tests to check reactions if the product gets in the eye, and repeated toxicity tests to assess toxicity with long-term use.
A prime example of alternative testing is the use of artificial skin, ‘Episkin’, to replace animals like rabbit ears, rabbit eyes, and mice traditionally used in cosmetic development and efficacy testing. Episkin is an artificial skin created using skin cells to closely mimic actual human skin, making it a suitable model to replace animal testing.
Episkin possesses all the major components of human skin: the subcutaneous tissue, dermis, and epidermis. Since cosmetics primarily act on the epidermis and are not absorbed into the dermis in most cases, testing on the epidermis is crucial. The epidermis, composed of keratinocytes, melanocytes, and Langerhans cells, protects the skin and performs immune functions. However, testing on the epidermis alone cannot accurately determine a cosmetic’s full effects on the human body. Therefore, artificial skin used in alternative testing must replicate the skin’s structure by including all three layers: subcutaneous tissue, dermis, and epidermis. Episkin possesses all three components, making it suitable for replacing animal testing.
Episkin is created using actual skin cells, enabling it to form a structure similar to human skin. The skin cells used in Episkin production are obtained through methods such as donation after informed consent. The skin cells are cultured in a medium containing collagen gel. After growing to a certain extent, they are immersed in a mixture of water, sugar, and amino acids. Exposing this sample to the air for about 10 days forms a surface similar to real skin.
The advantage of Episkin lies not only in replacing animal testing that sacrifices animals but also in its ability to mimic various human skin conditions. Unlike humans, animals struggle to express diverse skin tones or aging states; Episkin can replicate multiple characteristics of human skin under various conditions. For example, it can express skin with different aging states depending on the degree of ultraviolet (UV) exposure, and various skin tones can be achieved based on the amount of melanocytes injected. This can also contribute to the development of cosmetics suitable for the skin tones of multiple ethnicities.
Not only does it replace unethical animal testing, but Episkin, which is more similar to human skin than animals, is playing a crucial role in cosmetic testing. Indeed, in countries that prohibit or restrict animal testing, artificial skin models like Episkin are widely used. Episkin has demonstrated clear differences in skin irritation and allergic reactions compared to tests using conventional cosmetics, proving its usefulness. For these reasons, many anticipate that alternative models like Episkin will gradually become widely adopted even in countries that still conduct animal testing.

 

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I'm a "Cat Detective" I help reunite lost cats with their families.
I recharge over a cup of café latte, enjoy walking and traveling, and expand my thoughts through writing. By observing the world closely and following my intellectual curiosity as a blog writer, I hope my words can offer help and comfort to others.